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:a tremendous explosion,
A telegram to the New York Weekly Herald,
dated Philadelphia, August 19, contains the
following: — This city has been again the scene
of a disaster which, if not quite so terrible in
its results as the recent cyclone, has occasioned
a shock to the community. An explosion oc
curred on board an excursion steamer by which
many persons were injured, many seriously and
some of them probably fatally. Shortly
after 10 o'clock on Monday morning the
excursion steamer Samuel M. Felton swung
out from the Chestnut-street wharf into the
Delaware River, and headed towards the sea.
Just as the gong in the engine room had been
rung to increase speed a tremendous explosion
occurred on tne iorwara aecK, immediately
under the -pilot house. A burst of flame
followed a cloud of black smoke, and the next
moment the upper deck, pilot house, and sur
rounding woodwork seemed to crumble like so
much cardboard, and then fell with a crash to
the deck below. There were about two
hundred passengers on board, but most of them
fortunately were in the after cabin and
escaped injury, though all were greatly
frightened, and for a time there was a fright
ful panic, women and children screaming1,
some of the former having to be prevented
from jumping overboard. The passengers
were mostly women taking babies for a fresh
air trip on the river. Their remarkable
escape is accounted for by the providential
fact that bnt few of them were in the forward
end of the steamer, as the forward canvas
awning had not been set, and the sun shining
there made the passengers seek cooler places
at the stern of the boat. Of those who were
on the forward deck several were injured,
some seriously, while many more were stunned
by the shock of the explosion. Many of the
deck hands acted bravely and with remark
able coolness in the midst of the danger which
surrounded them. They hurried back all
those who were on the forward deck, and the
majority escaped before the upper deck fell.
When theexplosion occurred Captain Wiley had
gone aft on the hurricane deck to see that his
lines were in proper condition. He thought
the boiler had exploded and that the vessel
had caught fire. The deck bands on the vessel,
which is owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, were all well drilled and under
perfect discipline. The fire brigade was at
once rushed to the forward part of the vessel,
where the explosion occurred, and the hose got
ready, but when a hurried examination had
been made it was found that the fire was slight
and the explosion had been caused by some
substance placed on board without the know
ledge of its officers. 'Finding but little fire
the captain, first mate, John A. Downs, and
Pilot George N. Curry, assisted by the crew
and some of the passengers who had re
mained cooler than the others, attempted to
pacify the frightened men, women, and children
on board, aud after a little while succeeded.
Life-preservers had been pulled out of the
boxes and hurriedly fastened about the bodies
of the ladies and children, but after the first
period of excitement was over and the vessel
was found to be in no danger of sinking these
were taken off and thrown away. Among the
passengers at the time of the explosion were
several Sisters of Charity. These good women
were in no wise affected by the explosion. They
were among the few who retained their equa
nimity when all the rest were rushing wildly
about. The sisteis did all in their power to
subdue the excitement, and when they had in a
measure succeeded, turned their attention to
hunting out those who -were injured.
Among the first of those discovered was a man
whose hands were badly burned. One of the
sisters immediately made bandages out of
her clothing and carefully bound up his wounds.
The explosion occurred forward, and the
opinion of the captain and crew of tiie vessel is
that dynamite or powder had been used to
cause the explosion. The steam guage of the
engine showed that there was a pressure of
thirty-five pounds on when the report was
heard, and when an examination was made the
front end of the boiler was found to be stove
in, making a small leak through which the
steam escaped in small clouds. The force of
the explosion was all forward, although the
windows and doors in all parts of the vessel
were torn from their fastenings. Nearly all ?
the stained glass windows* in the after cabin
were demolished, together witti the lamps,
hair furniture, and carpets. Underneath the
deck forward, where- the crew slept, everything
was in ruins. Stanchions and small posts were
torn down, and the bulkhead in the extreme
end of the bow was stove in as though it had
been so much paper.
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